This blog started off about preserving doctrinal clarity in respect to Creationism. However, in light of the onslaught of compromises in other areas among the people called Nazarene I have broadened this blog to cover other areas in the preservation Biblical inerrancy.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Emergent leaders Deconstructing the Scriptures into Mumbo Jumbo

Keeping things simple is the way I enjoy understanding life. I realize life gets complicated, but when God speaks to me it is usually simple and easy to follow. He speaks to me from Scriptures and speaks to me by His Spirit. Thank God He speaks and by the grace of God I hope and plan to always listen.

As a pastor I find people need and want life and lessons presented with simplicity so they can grasp the wonderful grace of God. When it comes to words and there meaning I find having a dictionary handy if words get to fuzzy for me. Throw a bunch of fancy words at me and I run to the dictionary to make sure I know what is meant and where it is going. The first time I heard the phrase "Deconstruction" as it relates to Christianity I had to shake my head a couple times to make sure I heard it correctly. Then I said. “What does that mean?” I knew construction meant to build something so I suppose to "de" construct meant to take it apart and then reconstruct meant to rebuild it, right?

Now if you apply that word and its definition to Christianity you have a formula for heresy.

In this modern ago let's use the word house ( home) as an example of what is happening with the Word of God and the Bible as it relates to mankind.

A house is constructed for what purpose? I know it seems ridiculous to even ask what the purpose of a house is for. But for the sake of this article hang tight with me so I can show you how we must be careful in this day of post modernism. A house is for people to live in. People take shelter from the elements and live in their homes. Inside the confines of the structure they find safety from the elements, rest for their bodies and a place to eat meals together. The house structure provides many things including but not limited to safety, protection and rest. Then comes the Emergent one and they say lets "re"construct the meaning of the home from what has been the traditional purpose or intent of the home. So now the emergent one might say, here is a home constructed and what do you feel the structure is for"? How do you feel about it?How does this structure speak to you? This home can mean anything to you since its structure is all relative to you.

So in essence an emergent post modern perspective is: the house can mean whatever you want it to mean for you. If the house speaks to you as a structure designed to house hundreds of plants to stay safe from the harsh elements of the outdoors where cats and dogs can live at peace under the roof, than that is the purpose of the "house" for you. Personally I would call that a greenhouse with a formula for a mess, but if that is what someone wanted to call a house then they would deconstruct it from the original meaning and reconstruct it to mean something other than it’s original meaning and purpose.

So many today are taking this kind of deconstructive approach to the 'Scriptures". To "de"construct the Bible is for it to mean to YOU whatever it speaks to you about. Even if the original author meant one thing it is acceptable now to let it "speak to us" another meaning than its original purpose. Thus we now live in the era of ”deconstructing" the meaning of the Bible and its Words.

A good biblical example of this is the creation in Genesis chapter 1-3. Genesis 1:3-5 says and God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning-the first day.

Now right here the Word of God gives anyone with common sense the impression God just created light and separated it from darkness and now there is morning and evening – Day 1. Then he created for 5 more days and then he rests on the 7th day. Now we have a full week.

Then in Exodus 23:12 we have this record in scripture. "Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed.

These two scriptures verify 24 hour cycles and a full week of time as we know it.

In order for any other understanding of scripture one must deconstruct the meaning of certain words and then reconstruct them to mean periods of time or any other assortment of meanings to have another gospel understanding of the God of creation.

Children can grasp a simple story taught about God creating the world in 6 days. But when they get older they get a deconstructed and reconstructed version of the story of the true meaning of how long it took God to create if they even leave God in the how. The original meaning that was conveyed for generations has been that God made all that is within 6 days and rested on the 7th day.

The bible story is "constructed" to convey the miracle and majesty of Almighty God creating the world as we see it and know it in less than a week. The modern man comes along and presumes they have uncovered deeper truth and proof that the world as we know it could not have been constructed in 6 literal 24 hours periods. So they begin to "deconstruct" the chapters and words of Genesis to mean something different to them than what it was "constructed" to mean to all men and therefore they "reconstruct" the meaning of the scriptures from its original intent and purpose. Within the walls of this new "deconstruction" they develop new meanings to the word 'Day ' so now it means periods of time. They place millions of years between the "days" so that God's Word can still fit into there meaning and perception of how they believe things were created or evolved and the time line of man.

The list can go on and on of how men are deconstructing the bibles in this present generation. We need to be careful that in this day and age we do not allow the "emergent mystic preachers, teachers, professors and writers to "deconstruct” and “reconstruct” the bible to mean anything other than what God intended it to mean to us.

The bible is written to easily convey Truth and Salvation to all men. When things begin to sound fuzzy to your ears then they probably are. When someone asks "How do you feel about this scripture?" be careful because they may be about to "reconstruct truth right before your eyes to mean something different than what God meant.

Since God called us to live by faith it really does not matter how any of us feel about the bible. It matters that we trust the Scriptures as the divine words of God as it was constructed to be. Thank God for the simplicity of His Word and the meaning of His Word. Remember John said in 1 John 2:26-27 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit - just as it has taught you, remain in him

Be careful what you read and who wrote it as there are many today deconstructing Christianity and then reconstructing it into heresy. If it sounds like mumbo jumbo then it probably is.

1 comment:

Rob Bell, one of the leading rock stars of the emergent movement, is one of the more crafty deconstructionists today.

Too many Nazarene churches have been taken in by his uber-hip demeanor and Nooma video series. Rob is very clever with mixing truth with error to get the masses to view scripture in with a different (error-filled) meaning.

This is a recent video. Listen carefully how he casts doubt on the authenticity of Scripture as being the Word of God. He subtly directs his audience to see Scripture as being tainted by men....thus, weakening the Bible's power.

Also, be aware of the camera angles, especially at the very end, when the camera swirls around Rob Bell as he looks as his reflection in the mirror and states that "we are the gospel"....so as to promote MAN as the message of the Gospel (Kingdom Now Theology) for fixing the brokeness of the world through the Social Gospel. http://www.viddler.com/explore/GoodNewsTo/videos/12/

Now, if you have time, listen to Chris Rosebrough analyze Rob Bell's deconstruction of the gospel. Worth your time!!Download it onto your ipod.